11.14.2014

Crosstraining with Flywheel

Trying something completely new can be a little intimidating, and I don't think I would have gone out of my way to try Flywheel if it weren't for the ease of Class Pass. I'm really grateful I got to try it out (although anyone can, as your first Flywheel class is FREE), and that I got a bit out of my comfort zone. If you're contemplating a Flywheel class, I thought I'd give a little rundown, as there were a few things that were a (pleasant) surprise to me.

Flywheel Studio in Bellevue

Since I made my reservation through Class Pass, I checked in with the people at the front desk, just make sure everything went through fine - it did, but I wasn't sure which bike I was assigned to. Once you check in, your size bike shoe (which you fill out online) is waiting for you in a cubby that corresponds to your bike number. They also have nifty lockers that you can program for one-time use. This was really cool, as I had thought about showering there (yep, they have a few shower rooms) and then head out to run errands, but I wasn't sure of logistics. Now that I've scoped everything out, I'll totally do that next time! There are also towels, hair bands, toiletries, etc.After grabbing a towel and putting on my bike shoes, one of the employees gave me an overview while adjusting my bike seat and helping me clip in. Yep, I've completely outed myself as a non-biker, not having a clue how to 'clip in.' The room is tiered, like a small amphitheater with the instructor in the center, and paneled with what seemed to be soundproof material. I was even handed earplugs in case I thought the music was too loud. Ha! I may be getting old, but please. I LOVED the loud music. The class started right on time and they closed the door and turned down the lights. I almost felt as if I was about to start a ride at Disneyland or something. What would be cool is if they added some light effects to the whole shebang. Alas, the only light in the room came from the glow of the instructor's stereo equipment, our bike's output screens (which told us RPMs, torque/resistance, and 'total power') and two screens at the front of the room that displayed individual bike stats of your classmates that opted in to be on the 'TorqBoard.' I had opted in when I signed up and, whoa. I was competing with only FOUR pretty darn serious riders in my class of at LEAST fifteen people. Geeze. I suppose most people don't get into this, or don't want the distraction. But, our instructor did a good job of focusing our attention on our own workout and not worrying about what was up on the screen.All in all, it was like a really great spin class with the added benefit of being able to actually SEE your RPMs and torque and not just guess at effort level. And it went by really fast with the workout coordinating with the awesome music. It felt like an intense interval workout. At first, when the instructor said lets warm up around 85-90 RPM I thought, ummmm whoa! I haven't done spin in YEARS and wasn't sure if my legs could move around that fast without dislocating my knees. Being clipped in certainly helped, and it was much like any run - the first mile or so kinda sucks, and then you get into a groove. Another (pleasant) surprise was that they add in a short arm workout with weighted bars! When the instructor said to grab your bars, I thought, aw man - I didn't grab one on the way in. And, lo, there are these holders on either side of the front of the bike with weighted bars that look like regular ones just cut in half. Cool! Afterwards, I received an email from Flywheel with a link to my account and stats. I could see this becoming an obsession, bettering your stats. I'm a big fan of measurable data.

Judging by the peeks I took at the bikes around me, I was doing pretty good. Based on those four other people that opted in to the TorqBoard, they totally smoked me! My total power at 252 was 20 behind the next to last person and a good 100 behind the person in first! But, I'm pretty happy with the average speed and distance I covered in 45 minutes. I definitely got a good sweat on and only felt nauseous once!Next up, trying Barre3...